Tuesday, August 2, 2011

James 3

They say great minds think alike. That was certainly true of Paul and James. I made a list of the attributes of Godly wisdom James identifies in verses 17-18. Then I compared it to Paul’s list of the attributes of love in 1 Corinthians 13. They are remarkably similar. On July 29 I noted that the words hope and confidence were interchangeable in God’s Kingdom. Can love and wisdom also be interchangeable? I think so. There are times when I am not sure how to respond to someone and I pray for wisdom. I believe knowing that God’s wisdom and love are interwoven help me be more discerning of God’s leading.

As I read these verses I remember hearing that when people are trained how to identify counterfeit currency, instead of learning about all the different ways the currency has been copied or altered, the student spends their time learning about the genuine currency. The student becomes so familiar with the genuine article they can easily identify a counterfeit. Both Paul and James have identified things Christians are not supposed to do and that is good and helpful. But, both Paul and James emphasize even more the characteristics of the life in Christ. Can it be that when we are completely immersed in Christ’ life we can easily identify the counterfeit life offered by the evil one?

What does today’s reading reveal to you about God?
What does it reveal to you about yourself?
Think about what God wants you to do or remember about this passage.

Does God want you to change anything in your life?

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